Discovering Giftedness

My son- Hudson- loves to do things that make me laugh. For example, he enjoys finding my shoes and putting them on. He knows it is a quick way to draw a cheap laugh from his old man.

I have been reading a lot lately about the stewardship of abilities. One of my deep desires is to help my son hone in on his God-given talents and to develop those into meaningful strengths.

I can already see patterns emerging at the age of 2. He likes to play by himself rather than with other kids. But on the other hand, he enjoys being the center of attention. He loves to perform for a crowd of people.

When he decides he wants to do something, he becomes obsessive. He will weigh the consequences of punishment and decide that it is worth a reprimand or spanking to go ahead and do the thing he is determined in his mind to do.

I attended a seminar led by Bill Hendricks on "Discovering Your Child's Giftedness." Bill shared some tips on how parents should look for and encourage the development of talents in their children.

Eric Liddell the 1924 Olympic gold medal sprinter told his sister who was urging him to quit track and focus on being a missionary to China. Liddell says, "God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

Bill Hendricks encourages us to find the blanks for ourselves and our children in the statement: God made me ________. And when I _______ I feel His pleasure. Three practical ideas that Hendricks shared in his talk:

1. Identify your own giftedness.
2. Pay attention to your child's patterns of... energy; activities; behaviors; satisfaction; focus; relationships; roles and circumstances in which they strive.
3. Keep a design journal- write down observations of your child throughout their lives.

Psalms 139:16, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The Bible is full of references that we have been fashioned, formed and designed for a specific purpose. Our job as individuals and/or parents is to be stewards of God's workmanship. There are many good resources to help you determine your areas of giftedness. These will also equip you with the knowledge to help others determine their talents.

From a general secular perspective, I found two books helpful:

1. Now, Discover Your Strengths- Buckingham & Clifton
2. The Pathfinder- Nicholas Lore

From a more specific biblical view, I recommend:

1. The Power of Uniqueness- Miller & Hendricks
2. Maximizing Your Effective- Aubrey Malphurs
3. From Success to Significance- Lloyd Reeb

I also must insert a shameless plug for a book I wrote- Stewardship Mandate. I devoted a chapter where I summarized some of my favorite concepts from the above books. Soren Kierkegaard says, "At a man's birth, there comes into being an eternal vocation for him, expressly for him. To be true to himself in regards to this eternal vocation is the highest thing a man can practice."

For the Glory of the Triune God- Father, Son & Spirit,

Ashley Hodge